Fabula Figetrix: The Beginning, Fixing Anne of Green Gables
by Authourinthemaking
Summary: There's something special about the town of Everendings. Works of fiction in this town have a habit of changing their stories. Well, it's not the story, per say, that changes, but one day you might pick up your favorite book/movie and find it has a different ending, or a key point is missing. My job is to fix it-to make it the way it should be, the way it was originally written.
1. Chapter 1

**This story that has just been sitting on my desktop for years. It is kind of inspired by several different stories where people can affect the stories, and by my frequent musings about how a story could be different if one detail was changed. It is the first of a series—I hope! :) So, let me know what you think, but constructive criticism only please! (Oh, and Fabula Figetrix is Latin for Story Fixer.)**

* * *

Chapter 1

Discovery

My name is Beth. I am the owner and manager of special store in a town. I have practically every book, move, and every other form of stories, ever written for sale in my store, but that's not why it's special. The name of the store says it all. Happy Everendings.

There's also something special about this town. Works of fiction in this town have a habit of changing their stories. Well, it's not the story, per say, that they change, but one day you might pick up _Pride and Prejudice_ and find that Elizabeth has accepted Mr. Collins' proposal, or Mr. Darcy never explained to Elizabeth about his sister and Wickham. This is where my special store comes in.

When I was a child, my mother and father read me books all the time. I learned to read at a very young age, and I've been reading ever since. About the age of thirteen, I discovered something odd as I was reading one of my favorite books, _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_.

I had just gotten to the part where Edmund had finished his conversation with the White Witch (which was nothing like I remembered it being), and his sister Lucy had found him again. She asked him what he had been doing, and instead of saying he had done nothing, he said that he had talked to a lady with jet black hair and very red lips, who called herself queen. Lucy gasped. "You've met the White Witch," she exclaimed. "Who?" Edmund asked. Lucy proceeded to explain who the White Witch was to her brother. Then, they hurried back through the wardrobe to find Peter and Susan.

I paused and thought for a moment. What had happened? I continued reading to see if I had just never noticed that part before. However, things got stranger as the book went on.

Peter and Susan came to Narnia with Edmund and Lucy. Lucy suggested they go find Mr. Tumnus, and all eagerly agreed. They found Mr. Tumnus' house all intact, and Tumnus was inside drinking tea.

I knew something was wrong with the book. I decided to write down what I remembered happening in the book and the then read the rest of the book to see if it ever got back on track. It never did.

I couldn't believe the book had changed! I figured out that for some reason, Edmund was nice. He was not a traitor. It was a seemingly small thing, and one that readers often took for granted, but it changed the story significantly.

I knew I needed some help with this. Therefore, I went to find my mother. She explained to me that I was adopted. I gasped and asked her why she had never told me before. She said that it was because she and my father found me in a basket in the forest with a note saying I must never be told who was until I saw a book change. She went on to explain that there was another letter, and they had no idea what it meant, so they just put the letter away and forgot about it.

I asked her who I was, at which she went to her bedroom, and then returned with the letter I was given as a baby. She told me to read it. I obeyed.

 _My Dearest Bethanney,_

 _You are my sunshine and my joy. Unfortunately, my situation does not allow me to keep you. As I am writing this your father, whom I loved very much, but was never able to marry, was killed in battle two days ago. We are in the midst of a war, and even the women are fighting in this great hour of need. Our race is being erased from history; we have no choice but to fight._

 _Oh, but the days of our glory were magnificent! We are the Fabula Figetors (though a female is usually referred to as a Figetrix)._

 _You see, stories are funny things. They feed off of people's minds and their thoughts about them, and when people think about various ways they could end, or begin, or happen in between, they make those changes in their stories._

 _This can be a very bad thing because stories are not intelligent, and if they are not fixed and put back the way they should be, they will change so many times that they will forget what they were originally supposed to tell. This is where we come in._

 _Each Figetor, or Figetrix, has the ability to fix these stories that have gone awry. We do this by entering the story and prompting the characters to make the right decisions, or making sure they get to where they need to be on time._

 _It usually takes many years of training before one of us can become a true master at changing stories. The key is to have a good memory, so that no matter how many ways, or how many times the story is messed up, we can always make it go back to the way it is supposed to be. Also, a Figetor must never be seen or noticed by the characters in the book. If a Figetor is seen by other characters, the Figetor risks becoming a part of the story, and he is trapped there forever—or at least until the end of the story. He must always do his nudgings and promptings by putting objects in characters' paths, or sending anonymous letters to characters, so planting ideas in their heads. If a Figetor happens to be seen by a main character, he can quickly exit the story and wait until the character moves on. If a Figetor is seen by a lesser character, he can quickly hide somewhere in the setting of the story and wait until the character moves on. Main characters are always more curious, and it will affect even the Figetor's ability to fix the story if he gets too involved with a main character._

 _Well, that is all I have time for now, my dearest daughter. I wish I could keep you, but I know that would be selfish, for I would be taking you to your doom. No, I am giving you up in hopes that you can find a new life and maybe begin to help some people. But do be careful. Humans are very fearful of us, for they do not understand that we can only alter people's lives in stories—not real life._

 _Oh, one more thing before I go. In order to enter a story, you must find your word. This word can also be used to exit the story at any time. (It can also be turned into an adjective inside the story to help you move objects in the story.) No one can find this word for you. You must find it on your own. It will come to you; all you have to do is wait. Very few people have the same word. Say your word when you are ready to enter, and you will find yourself in the story. And don't worry about blending in. You will automatically be outfitted in the proper fashion for that story._

 _Good luck, my young Fabula Figetrix! I love you!_

 _~Your Mother, Yvaine_

I looked up at my mother. She smiled and pulled me into an embrace. I hugged her back.

When she let go, I asked her if I might practice so I could fix my book. She said I could and that I could use some of her old short stories she wrote in college. She assured me that she didn't care if they were forever messed up. I thanked as I jumped up and down. Smiling, she went to get her short stories. When she returned, I thanked her and hugged her. Then, I hurried off to my room to try to find my word.

* * *

It was several weeks before my word came to me. I was reading my mother's short stories for the thousandth time, when I thought, _"These are magnificent! Why would she not care about these?"_ That's when it hit me. Magnificent! That was my word. Magnificent!

A grin spread across my face as I began to jump up and down. "Magnificent!" I exclaimed. Suddenly, I found myself in a dark wood with a dress and a corset. I heard a wagon not far off, and I heard a girl scream. I ran to the edge of the wood, and I saw before me a scene straight from my mother's short story. I gasped. I had done it! I silently screamed with joy. I watched to see if something was amiss. Sure enough, I found that the girl was not putting up a fight as the man from the wagon was trying to kidnap her.

" _How can I fix this?"_ I thought. _"I can't go in there and fight for her because then I'll alter the story too much like my birth mom warned me about. No, I have to find a way to get her to fight, but without her noticing me."_ I thought for a long time—too long! The wagon had already gone away before I came up with a decent plan. "Blast!" I whispered. "Well, this is just magnificent!"

At that, I found myself in my room, in my own clothes. I sighed. How was I going to fix this? I read the rest of the story and compared it to my notes. It was definitely not the happy ending my mother had written before. I wondered how far back the changes started, so I decided to read from the beginning and find out.

It happened that the main character had received some news she should not have, which made her stop fighting. I wondered if I could jump back into the story before she received the news so I could prevent her from finding out the news. I decided there was nothing to lose, so I shouted, "Magnificent!"

I was standing in a tavern, again in my same dress. I saw the guy who told the main character the news that made her despair and knew I must stop him. I looked around for anything I could use and I saw an empty beer glass. Grabbing it from the table, I knelt down and slid it across the floor. The man tripped on it, which sent him sprawling. I peeked around the booth, behind which I had knelt, to see the main girl get to her feet and quickly exit. "Magnificent!" I smiled.

When I was back in my room, I read the story. "And suddenly, an empty beer glass came out of nowhere…," I read. I compared it to my notes on the correct story. He tripped over an empty beer glass in my notes, which sent him sprawling. I smiled. _"And to think, that was me that sent that beer glass across the floor,"_ I thought proudly.

I continued to practice on my mother's short stories for several years. Then, on my eighteenth birthday, I decided to try and fix my copy of _The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe_. I knew it was going to be a hard one to fix because I had to make Edmund be a traitor, and how do you make someone be a traitor?

I decided to write out the entire story as I remembered it, that way I could make sure I was putting it back the way it was supposed to be. Then, I read my messed up copy.

I discovered it was an incident early on in Edmund's life that had been altered. His family had reacted a different way. I had to make sure his family reacted the way they were supposed to so he would become a traitor.

I decided to hang around until his meeting with the White Witch just to make sure he said the right things. He did. He told her about his sister and Mr. Tumnus, and all about Peter and Susan. I whispered, "Magnificent," and was transported back to my room. I finished reading the rest of the book and smiled. I had done it!

* * *

 **Authour's Note: This story is rated K+ just to be safe. I am going to try to keep the Fabula Figetrix stories at a K, K+, or T rating, but it kind of depends on what story Beth is fixing.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

New Friends

When I was nineteen, my mother and father were in a car accident. They both died shortly thereafter. My close friend, Alissa, was a big help during that time.

Then, on my 21st birthday, I opened a bookstore called Happy Everendings. Fortunately, people in Everendings like to read and watch movies, so it was a huge success. I built an apartment above, and a warehouse behind, Happy Everendings so I could always be around stories. Ever since I had discovered my story fixing ability, books and movies were my best friends.

About six months after I opened the store, I found more best friends. I discovered them one night as I was going to bed. I heard a squeaking coming from the back library. I decided to go check it out.

I turned on the light and saw two dozen brown mice cuddling up under a book. Smiling at their cuteness, I went over to them. I decided to leave them until morning.

When I awoke, I went to the back book room and found them still under the book. I knelt down and lifted the book. One mouse looked up in panic. "Don't be afraid little one," I cooed. "A bookstore is no place for mice, but I can help you find another place to live."

"Actually, we are from a book," the mouse who had looked up replied.

I gasped. A talking mouse? "You wouldn't happen to be from Narnia, would you?" I inquired. The mouse shook its head. "No, we are from a book that is being destroyed," she explained. "I can help," I smiled. "I'm a Figetrix." The mouse seemed to smile, but then she shook her head sadly. "Our story is not being destroyed, our _book_ is being destroyed," she countered. "Our book is burning right now. The story has been banned all around the world, and every copy is being burned. We managed to escape, because the last copy was here. It is here no longer because someone bought an empty book with our title on it. When all the characters leave the book, you know, the book becomes blank."

I nodded. "Well, in that case, you can all stay here with me. There is plenty of room, and I often get lonely. Just try to stay out of the front when people are here. Humans are afraid of mice, and I don't want them getting suspicious. The mouse happily agreed. She then introduced herself and Matilda Mouse. "Pleased to meet you Matilda," I smiled, shaking her tiny paw.

* * *

Over the next few days, the mice became restless. I decided I needed a job for them. I asked Matilda if all her companions could talk as well. "Oh, yes," she replied. "We can also read and write," she added.

"You can?" I exclaimed. "Well, then I have a job for you." I explained to her that I would like her and her companions to read or watch every book and movie in this store and write down the plot in a notebook. She replied that she and her companions would be glad to do it. I told her I would be reading and watching, and writing down plots, too, but that it would go much faster if 25 of us were working on it, as opposed to one. She agreed.

By the time my 23rd birthday rolled around, we had copied every book and movie in the store, and only had to copy if new books came in. I wanted every single one copied so that in case I forgot the story of one, and it had changed, I could look in my notebook and find the right story. I had written them in special notebooks I had designed that kept out thoughts of alterations, so the stories in there were always safe.

Also by this time, I had become known as the owner of a magical bookstore that could fix stories. I was glad that the bookstore had been the one associated with fixing the stories and not me. I did not have to be so wary of the humans that way.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

My First Movie Fix

One day, a girl who was about twelve years old came into my store. She set a DVD on my counter and asked if I could fix it. "I know it's not a book, but I thought maybe you can fix it still?" she implored. I smiled and said I would do my best.

That night, I opened the DVD and popped it into my player. I turned on my TV and settled down for a movie night. Just then, I heard a squeaking at my feet. I looked down to see Matilda and her companions. "Would you like to join me?" I asked. They all eagerly climbed onto the couch in response. Matilda curled up on my chest.

Fortunately, I recognized the movie, and knew it well, so I was sure I would be able to fix the story. I pressed play and relaxed. However, I did not relax for long.

* * *

I sat up quickly, flinging Matilda forward. She landed on the DVD player, and as she struggled to climb up on top of it, she pressed the skip button several times. I gasped as the scenes flipped by me. The title of this movie was _Anne of Green Gables the Continuing Story_. The first scene was supposed to be Anne on the fairy to Prince Edward Island. But that was not the first scene, and that was why I flung Matilda across the room. The next several scenes were not much better. In fact, Anne was nowhere to be seen. I knew that if the first scene was off the whole movie would be off. I decided to check things out on a more personal level. I told Matilda that I was going in. She asked if she might go with me. I agreed. I went to her and scooped her up. "I'm excited," she exclaimed, "I finally get to see what a Figetrix does and it won't alter my story!"

"Yes, having a companion will be magnificent!" I replied.

Observing our surroundings, I realized that we were in Avonlea town center. "Okay," I thought aloud, "not bad, but we need to figure out where we are in the story. Things seem to be greatly mixed up in order so, we'll see how much we can gather." Matilda agreed. She then asked if the movies were like the books. "I've never seen the movies, but I copied down all the books," she added. I tilted my head back and forth and pursed my lips.

"Not really," I replied. "The first movie is pretty close to the first book. In the second movie, you don't see Anne or Gilbert at Redmond, but the way they talk it sounds like they went between the first and second movie. Also, in the second movie, you only see a sampling of Anne's adventures in _Anne of Avonlea_ , and sometimes they involve different characters, like all the ones with Mr. Harrison because he is left out of the movie altogether.

"And, she goes off to the Kingsport Ladies' College before she realizes she loves Gilbert. Oh, and Gilbert gets scarlet fever, instead of typhoid fever like in _Anne of the Island_. Then while in Kingsport, she meets a guy named Morgan Harris—I don't recall if he is in the book by that name or not—whose daughter goes to Kingsport Ladies' College, and they fall for each other. He proposes, and thankfully, she refuses, under the statement that she just wants to go home.

"She also brings Katherine Brook home with her to Green Gables—I don't recall how that played out in the book, it's been awhile since I've read _Anne of Windy Poplars_. Then, the third movie is quite mixed up. Also, the timeline jumps significantly. Instead of Anne and Gilbert getting married and then moving to Glen St. Mary and having kids, they are still engaged, and instead of their sons going off to fight in World War One, Gilbert goes off to fight in it.

"And besides that, the plot is pretty much nothing like the books. Although, Gilbert is still a doctor, and Anne gets stuck caring for an abandoned orphan (like Rilla in the books), but the circumstances around how she comes to care for him are completely different. Oh, and Fred Wright goes off to war, too, and comes home with a missing arm."

"So, what is the plot of the movie?" Matilda asked.

"In nutshell—a very small nutshell, Anne and Gilbert get married, and then he goes off to war and she goes out to look for him after all her letters to him come back. A guy named Jack Garrison, who Anne met earlier in the movie helps her find Gilbert, and it is his son that Anne gets stuck with."

Matilda nodded. "Sounds interesting," she squeaked.

"It's a decent story, if you don't compare it to the books," I laughed. Matilda smiled and squeaked in agreement.

Presently, a group of children ran past us. They ran past us, and right into Mrs. Rachel Lynde. I gasped. She was not going to be happy about that. She did fuss at the children, but then she, and they, moved along and said no more.

I watched them for a while. There were two boys and two girls. One boy looked to be about thirteen, and the other looked to be about eight. The two girls looked to be about five. They were arguing over something, and the oldest boy seemed to be winning.

Just then, the boy turned as someone called his name. "James Matthew Blythe, come here!" someone shouted, in a stern, deep voice. I turned to Matilda.

"Well, that's a good sign, although, the fact that he's _here_ is not. In the books, he should be in Glen St. Mary by his age, and in the movies, he shouldn't even exist," I said.

"What do we do then?" Matilda questioned.

"We fix things, of course," I answered. "But we need to find the root change first. If the Blythes have just come back to Avonlea for a visit, then I don't think that's the root change. Something else would have had to happen first." Matilda agreed. "Let's keep an eye on this James Blythe and see where he goes and what he does." Matilda nodded.

We followed the children as they headed toward the person who had called them. I gasped and ducked behind a building. I saw a man I recognized all too well standing over the children with a stern, but loving look on his face.

I peeked around the corner, and Matilda leaned forward on my shoulder. The man was kneeling before the children. He hugged them, and then began to talk to them about running away from their mother. James said he was sorry, and that it was his fault, and that he'd never do it again. The man stood up and hugged them again. Then, he guided them in the opposite direction from which they had come, explaining to them that they were going to find their mother. We followed at a distance.

I was liking what I was seeing. It didn't seem so bad. It appeared that the book and movie had just gotten mixed up a bit. The oldest boy was obviously James Blythe, and the next oldest was a boy who could easily be Walter. The girls looked like twins, so they could have been Nan and Di, though neither of them had red hair, and Di should have had red hair. I shrugged. Hair color was not a big deal, though.

Therefore, if these were indeed the names of these children, it wouldn't be so bad. I began to hope. My hope was dashed, however, when I peeked around the building.

I saw them stop at a dark haired woman. The woman kissed each of them, and then hugged them. "Oh, I was so worried!" she exclaimed. "James, never do that again! It is your responsibility to look after your brother and sisters, not take them on wild adventures."

"Yes, mother," James answered hanging his head.

The dark haired woman was their mother, it seemed, which was not a good sign. The man who found them was their father because that was Gilbert Blythe, no mistake, and I knew of no other Blythes. I racked my brain for any mention of Blythe family members. I asked Matilda if she recalled Gilbert having any siblings, and she squeaked a negative.

I sighed heavily. "I was afraid of that," I whispered.

"Why? What does it mean?" Matilda quietly squeaked.

"It means that something happened to Anne," I replied. Matilda gasped. "And it must have happened early on," I added.

"How do you know?"

"Two reasons. One, Diana would not wait this long to get married, and besides, their oldest son is at least thirteen. And two, at this point in the timeline, Gilbert would be too heartbroken to marry anyone besides Anne if something had recently happened to her." Matilda nodded. We decided to follow the Blythe family for a bit longer just to figure out if things really were as they seemed.

Sure enough, through talking with minor characters, and observing the family, we came to the conclusion that Gilbert had married Diana and they had had kids. "This is most certainly not magnificent," I whispered.

I knelt in front of the TV and pressed pause on the DVD player. Matilda jumped into my lap. "What do we do now?" she inquired. I pressed play again, and said, "We watch the rest of the movie." Matilda nodded, and we moved back to the couch.

* * *

It was a rather boring movie, I have to admit. Gilbert was the one to go off to war (so at least that part of the movie timeline was correct), but Diana did not go looking for him, and there was no Jack Garrison; that is, he never showed up in a scene. The story followed Diana who was active in helping with the war effort and getting the Avonlea people to help, but even when the letters she sent to Gilbert were returned, she did not decide to go after him. I guess one reason was because she had children to look after—Anne did not at that point in her story.

Another change that arose was Jane Andrews, or Jane Waters, as she was known in the movie. "That's odd," I thought aloud. "She should be married to somebody with the last name Inglis. I don't remember his first name, maybe Harry, or Henry, or something like that. Still, not a huge deal, but it means she should not be in Avonlea at this time."

Matilda asked who she had married, then, if her last name was Waters. "I have no idea. Hopefully, we will find out if we continue to watch the rest of the movie," I replied. Matilda nodded.

* * *

We did find out. It turned out she was married to a man with brown hair and brown eyes, whose name was Aaron Waters. We also learned that Marilla and Matthew had passed away a couple of years ago and now Aaron and Jane lived at Green Gables. I wondered why this Aaron Waters person had the right to live at Green Gables. I waited for an explanation, but none came. I guess it was assumed that everyone knew who he was. I asked Matilda if she recalled an Aaron Waters in the books, and she said she did not.

When we finished the movie, I decided we needed to investigate further. I needed the other DVDs to look at the rest of the story. I would have to ask the girl who brought this one in for the other two.

The next morning, shortly after I opened shop, the little girl rushed in. "Did you fix my movie?" she eagerly inquired. I shook my head and told her that it was a mystery even the magic store was having difficulties with. She hung her head. "But, if you bring me the other two movies, I might be able to work it out," I added.

Her head shot up, and a grin covered her face. She nodded and then sprinted out the door. I laughed at her enthusiasm.

Not long after, she came bounding in with the other DVDs. "How long do you think it will take?" she questioned. "My best friend is spending the night this weekend, and we are going to have an Anne movie marathon." I smiled and looked at the calendar.

Today was Thursday. I sighed. "I'll see what I can do. How about if you come back tomorrow afternoon? I'll try to have it all fixed by then," I said. She nodded eagerly and thanked me, then she hurried out the door.

I picked up the DVDs, closed the shop, and headed upstairs to my living room. "Well, Matilda, we have our work cut out for us," I announced.

"Did you get the other DVDs?" she squeaked excitedly. I nodded and said I did.

Deciding to work backwards, in hopes that the problem was in the second movie, leaving the first correct, I popped _Anne of Green Gables the Sequel_ into the DVD player. I sighed. I almost wish that when stories changed, they changed their names so that one could easily decipher what was wrong. Oh well, besides, discovering the root change was half the fun. "Ready?" I asked, scooping up Matilda and settling on the couch. She twitched her nose and smiled. The other mice soon joined us.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Finding the Problem

Things didn't start out the way they should have. The first scene should have been Anne working on a story by the beach. However, the first scene showed a brown haired, brown eyed young man riding his bicycle into Avonlea. He stopped to say hello to a few people, and then he caught sight of Jane Andrews. He got off his bike and they embraced.

Matilda and I looked at each other. Who was this guy? And what was he doing in Avonlea? Was this the Aaron Waters that Jane was married to in the third movie?

The next scene showed this young man sitting on the porch of Green Gables with Marilla and Matthew. Matilda and I looked at each other and then nodded. "Magnificent!" I exclaimed.

I quickly hid behind a tree and peeked around to observe those on the porch. I soon learned that this was Aaron Waters, but I still wondered what right he had to be at Green Gables. As I continued listening to their conversation, I gathered little else that was important. I did learn, however, that Gilbert Blythe was one of Aaron's best friends. I knew this was a key bit of information because Gilbert's closest friend should have been Moody or Charlie. I needed some time to pass, but I did not want to wait it out, so I decided to exit and then come back in when I thought it would be a good time.

When Matilda and I were back on the couch, we settled down to watch the movie, still paying close attention to all the details. Soon, a scene came up where Aaron and Gilbert were walking to town and talking. "Magnificent!" I exclaimed, and quickly ducked behind a building until they passed. Then, I followed them at a distance, but close enough so that I could hear their conversation.

"Are you taking Diana to the party tonight?" Aaron questioned. Gilbert nodded. "Then, are you going to propose?" Gilbert shrugged. "You know," Aaron teased, nudging Gilbert, "if you don't propose soon, someone else will take her, and you'll be left with Josie Pye." Gilbert laughed. Then, he grew serious. "I don't know. I mean, I care greatly for Diana, but something just doesn't feel right."

" _Uh oh!"_ I thought. _"Please don't be what I think you are—please don't be conscious of your story being wrong! That's the last thing I need!"_

However, as Gilbert continued to talk about how he was only going to propose to Diana because she was the only person he could see himself with, and how he felt there really was something more for him, my dread became reality.

I turned to Matilda and silently screamed in horror. She just twitched her nose, a worried look on her face. I took a deep breath and listened to their conversation a little bit more.

Just then, they stopped. Gilbert sighed and turned toward Aaron. I ducked behind a building nearby. "I don't know, Aaron, I just wish I knew what this aching in my heart meant," Gilbert remarked. Aaron nodded and put his hand on Gilbert's shoulder. "Come on, just take Diana to the party and then go from there. Ask her to dance, and I'm sure you'll feel more confident. She adores you, you know." Gilbert nodded.

"I almost wish I hadn't called her crow head when we were kids. Ever since then she's fancied me," he sighed.

"Come on, Gil, Diana's great! I always knew you two would end up together, that's why I steered clear of her," Aaron comforted. Gilbert nodded and smiled. He thanked his best friend for the encouragement. "Maybe after tonight the ache in my heart will go away," he said hopefully. Aaron smiled and nodded.

That night, at the party, I watched Aaron for a while. He looked so happy with Jane Andrews and all their other friends. What would happen to him when the story was fixed? If the root problem was what I suspected, he wouldn't be here. How could I tell him that without letting him know he was in a story? I could not. Therefore, I just looked at him and sighed sadly.

Gilbert did ask Diana to dance, and after the dance, he took Diana to the bridge across the pond. There, he began to tell Diana that he had always considered her one of his best friends and he could not see himself marrying anyone else. Her eyes grew wide, and a smile shone on her face.

He was about to ask the fateful question when, suddenly, I couldn't take it any longer. Where was Anne? Why was he not remaining loyal to her? And why was he not listening to this ache in his heart? "Magnificently stop!" I yelled.

The scene before me froze, but Matilda and I could still move. I smiled, remembering what my mother had said in her letter. I had just turned my word into an adjective, which allowed me to manipulate the story once I was inside it.

I smiled again. It was as if I had just paused the story. Good. This would give me time to think.

How was I going to fix this? He was a character that knew something was missing from his life. If he kept thinking about this, he could potentially figure out he was in a story. This meant that _any_ interaction from me was very risky and could potentially get me stuck in the story.

Just then, a realization came to me. My first name had "Anne" in it, I had no idea what my last name was, I hardly knew my parents, two older people adopted me (though they were married, and not siblings), I had red hair, and I had always had a temper that I had to learn to control. I had a lot in common with Anne. Maybe, if worse came to worse, I could be Anne. I certainly knew the story well enough…

No! NO! Absolutely not! I could not be Anne because then I would get stuck in the story. No, I needed to go back to the first movie and confirm the root problem. "Magnificent," I whispered.

Finding myself in my living room, I ejected the DVD and put in _Anne of Green Gables_. The mice and I settled down to watch it.

I paused it as soon as Matthew picked up the boy named Aaron Waters at Bright River station. "Aha! That's what I thought. The Cuthberts got the boy they asked for."

"You wouldn't think so much would change from that," Matilda commented. I nodded and smiled. "Well, now that we know what the problem is, we just need to figure out how to fix it," I said. I started the movie from the beginning, and whispered, "Magnificent."

I found myself on the porch of Green Gables. I quickly hid behind a tree to wait for the right place to begin my fix.

I heard the Cuthberts discussing the topic of getting a boy from the orphanage. I knew that I needed to make sure the neighbor they sent to get the boy got a girl instead. But how was I going to do that?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fixing the Problem

I needed time to observe and think. I listened as Matthew and Marilla continued to discuss getting a boy from the orphanage. Marilla said that Mrs. Spencer was going to get a girl for herself, so they could just ask her to get a boy for them. I knew this was where the mix up needed to happen.

Therefore, I put Mrs. Spencer's daughter in Marilla's path. Marilla smiled at the young girl. She asked the girl if she could give a message to her mother. The little girl nodded and smiled. Marilla told her to ask her mother to get a boy for the Cuthberts from the orphanage when she went to get a girl. The little girl nodded and smiled. Then, she skipped off to find her mother. I followed her just to make sure that she told her mother the right message.

She found her mother and said, "Mama, Miss Cuthbert said when you go to the orphanage she wants you to get her one, too."

"Did she say if she wanted a girl, or a boy?" Mrs. Spencer asked.

The little girl screwed up her face. She was obviously trying to remember. "A girl," she finally said. Mr. Spencer smiled and agreed to get the Cuthberts a girl. "Yes," I mouthed from my perch outside the window. "Magnificent," I whispered.

I was in my living room again. Smiling, I breathed a sigh of relief. I decided to watch all three movies from start to finish.

The mice and I got comfortable on the couch. Then, I started the DVD from the beginning. _"So far, so good,"_ I thought, as I saw Anne sitting on the platform.

I sighed contentedly when the movie was over. "Now for the second one," I announced. "I assume it will be fixed because the first one is fixed, but we should check to see." Matilda agreed.

* * *

After we finished the second one, which was all as it should be, we started the third movie. Everything was right in that one, too. I then looked at my watch. I smiled. The girl who owned these would be here any minute.

I returned all the DVDs to their proper cases, and headed downstairs to the store. I turned the open sign to face out, and set Matilda down on the counter. Soon, I saw a small form bouncing down the sidewalk outside. I picked up Matilda and set her on a shelf below the counter so the girl would not see her. Then, I placed the DVDs on the pick-up shelf.

The girl bounced in with an eager smile on her face. "Are they fixed?" she inquired excitedly. I smiled.

"All fixed," I replied, handing the three DVDs to her.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, placing a ten-dollar bill on the counter.

"Your welcome," I smiled. "And, remember, be careful when you think about different endings for your stories…they just might come true." She smiled and nodded. Then, she picked up the movies and bounced out.

When she was gone, I picked up Matilda and placed her on the counter. She scurried over to the ten-dollar bill. I smiled and picked it up. My bookstore was a non-profit business, so I relied on generous customers, the occasional tips from young patrons.

I placed the ten dollars in the cash box and then locked it with the key that was in a hidden drawer in the counter. I smiled at Matilda. "Well, another successful story fix," I sighed. She smiled and her nose twitched up and down. I picked her up and headed to the library, where the mice were putting away some stray books.

* * *

 **I have a few ideas for sequels, but I would love to hear your suggestions. If you have an idea for a sequel, write the book/movie/TV show you want and then what the "thing that went wrong" should be. (e.g.** _ **Pride and Prejudice**_ **, Darcy never sent Elizabeth the letter explaining who Wickham really was)**


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